During a forum on substance abuse hosted by the New Jersey Hospital Association, Gov. Chris Christie called the push for cannabis legalization “beyond stupidity,” adding that it’s “not time for use to be cool and say, ‘Pot’s OK,’” NJ.com reports.
“We are in the midst of the public health crisis on opiates,” Christie said during his remarks. “But people are saying pot’s OK. This is nothing more than crazy liberals who want to say everything’s OK. Baloney.”
Christie’s comments come just two days after what Christie referred to as the “idiot” Star-Ledger editorial board published an op-ed titled “Forget decriminalization. Time to legalize weed.”
Christie also rallied against pro-legalization politicians, including Democrat Phil Murphy who is the front-runner in this year’s gubernatorial campaign in the state.
“People like [Rep.] Nick Scutari and [Senate President] Steve Sweeney and Phil Murphy want to bring this poison, legalized, into this state under the premise that, well, it doesn’t matter because people can buy it illegally anyway,” Christie said in the report. “Then why not legalize heroin? I mean, their argument fails just on that basis. Let’s legalize cocaine. Let’s legalize angel dust. Let’s legalize all of it. What’s the difference? Let everybody choose.”
Scutari, a Democrat, is the main sponsor of legalization legislation expected to be introduced in the legislature next year. Sweeney has indicated he would support the bill.
Christie also toed the prohibitionist line that cannabis is a gateway drug to heroin, citing the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health that purports a child who tries cannabis between 12 and 17-years-old is 10 times more likely to be addicted to the heroin by the time they reach 24.
“If he’s gonna say [legalization] is stupid, I’m going to say those comments are idiotic,” Scutari said of the governor’s remarks. “To try to draw some kind of nexus between the two is ridiculous, misplaced, and unscientific.”
Christie was named chairman of a commission to find solutions to the opioid epidemic by President Donald Trump.